'ShakeOut' drill readies officials for earthquakes

11:29 PM,
Apr. 17, 2014

Members of the Washington County Emergency Public Information Office team discuss information response for the annual Great Utah ShakeOut earthquake drill Thursday at the county's Emergency Operations Center in St. George. The drill provided volunteers an opportunity to gather information related to a mock earthquake northwest of Ivins and disseminate it to the public through social media and news outlets.

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Washington County emergency response officials honed their communication and planning skills Thursday in preparation for a potential earthquake disaster.

The annual Great Utah ShakeOut event invites residents and school students to "drop, cover and hold on" as part of April drills designed to prepare Utahns to find shelter and survive significant earthquakes.

In the county's Emergency Operations Center in downtown St. George, St. George police officers worked with representatives from the Southwest Utah Public Health Department, Dixie Regional Medical Center, HAM radio ...